“I’m trying to getawayfrom the office for a few minutes so I can actually take her around New York a bit. Probably not this visit.”
Sana huffs. “Fine.” She scribbles down a few words into her notepad. “So Mayor Reed? Who’s doing something shady?”
I nod. “Can you just look into him? Do some digging and figure out what it is he wants or at least get something on him? This company apparently always gets approved by him but based on the quote they gave us, there must besomethingodd going on behind the scenes. If we can figure out what that is, we can get Evie’s water wheel fixed for a reasonable amount of money, and I’m thinking that any further approvals for the Sunflower Hill development will likely be much easier. I want to believe a twenty-thousand-dollar rooster would grease our way more than extortion, but something tells me Reed is going to be harder to crack than that.”
Sana nods, pursing her lips. “Ryder, what are your intentions with Eve?”
I throw my hands out in front of me. “Why does everyone keep asking me that question?”
She leans forward. “If you wanted to, you could buy half the town and make it exactly what you want it to be. But instead, you're playing within bounds that you're making up as you go. You bought a twenty-thousand-dollar rooster for thechanceof greasing Mayor Reed in Evie's favor. I’m worried you’re going too far for this.”
I shake my head. “Sana, I promise you. The rooster was a one-off thing because it kept crowing and making Reed cranky so he wasn’t approving anyone for anything.”
Sana nods slowly.
“And Evie…” I swallow, the words feeling odd and unfamiliar on my tongue even though I want to scream them from a rooftop. “I love her. She was never a part of the plan to begin with, but she is now. The most important part.”
Sana runs a hand over her face. “Okay.” She closes her notepad. “I don’t know what’s in the water in Sunflower Hill, but you should probably stop drinking it.”
She stands, straightening out her skirt and heading for the door.
Before she leaves, she turns to give me a small smile. “I’m glad you’re back, but I’m more glad you’re leaving again. You deserve someone who makes you happy.”
I can’t help but grin back at her. “Thanks, Sana.”
34
EVE
Iwake to the scent of whiskey.
It’s late, darkness blanketing the Manhattan skyline.
I must have fallen asleep reading, because the lamp next to the bed is still bright and the pages of my book are crinkled where my face was smushed into them.
I’m sprawled out decidedly in the absolute middle of the bed, and Ryder, gentle as he is, is doing his very best to squish into bed around me.
I turn so I can see him and he grimaces.
“Sorry, I thought I could manage to not wake you.”
“Why wouldn’t you want to wake me? I haven’t seen you all day,” I say, moving close enough that I can rest my hand on his bare chest. He sighs at the touch, his eyes fluttering closed as he squeezes it.
He shrugs, giving me a small smile. “It’s late. I thought it would be better to let you sleep.”
I crinkle my nose. “You smell like whiskey.”
He rolls his eyes. “Bankers.”
“Bankers make you smell like whiskey?”
He nods. “They kept ordering more for me. And it wasgoodwhiskey.”
I purse my lips, snuggling in close to him. “I’m jealous.”
“Jealous? That I went out with the bankers?” He snorts. “Don’t be. That whole thing was a hell of a lot of reassurance. Sana took it upon herself to hardball them on rates and they got spooked. Needed me to smooth things over.”
I kiss his shoulder, debating whether I should make it known that although I loved my day—I went to the planetarium, took a long walk around the park that abated the chill in the air, and had brunch at a trendy place I found off Instagram—I missed him.
